Communiqué on the consultative forum between the Federal Government, Regional States and the independent Media. ( DAAWO SAWIRADA )

A consultative forum on cooperation, unification and developing the media in the country was officially kicked off on 31st Oct 2017 by officials from Federal Ministry of Information, Federal Member States and the media in Hotel Al-Jazeera in Mogadishu.

The forum ran for five days, between 31st Oct to 4th Nov, 2017.

The forum was officially opened by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow) and was also attended by Puntland’s State Minister of Information, Communucation and Culture, Mr. Abdifatah Nur Ashkir, Jubbaland’s Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Mr. Abdinur Ali Adan, South-West Minister of Information and Community Awareness, Mr. Hassan Abdi Mohamed, Galmudug Minister of Information, Guidance, Culture and Tourism, Mohamed Adan Osman (Masagawaa), Hirshabelle Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mahad Hassan Osman, Banadir region’s director of Media, Abdifatah Arizona, Media and Communication Committee in the Somalia’s House of the People, and the Chairperson of Media Committee in the Upper House, Muna Hassan. Also present in the forum were the country’s Attorney General, Dr. Ahmed Ali Dahir, and the Media associations like NUSOJ, SWJ, SOMA and others.

The following were discussed in the five-day forum:

1. Strengthening cooperation of the various Media in the country following the disasters on 14th and 28th of Oct. 2. Unification of the activities and messages of the government-owned media in Somalia. 3. Reviewing the Media Bill, and listening to a report by Parliamentary Committee.4. Consultative discussion on stabilization by the governments and the independent media. 5. Awareness Strategy and Media and Strategy to develop Media in the country.

The following points were agreed upon:

1.

The participants thanked Ministries of Information of the Federal government and Federal Member states for their facilitation of this crucial forum.

2.

The participants welcomed and thanked the officials and journalists for their role on the consultative forum and for sharing their views on the items discussed in the forum. The media was also commended for their role in assisting victims of the National Disasters on 14th and 28th of October, 2017, and they were further encouraged to continue doing the same.

3.

The participants analysed the extent of the impact of the 14th and 28th October disasters that occurred in Mogadishu, and deliberated on how they can continue to provide support to the victims and unite towards national disasters.

4.

Participants proposed that the Federal Ministry of Information and Ministries of Information of the Federal Member States should discuss and fairly share amongst themselves all media projects granted by the international community.

5.

The participants noted that the Federal Government and the Member States of the Federal Government of Somalia need to work together towards the implementation of public awareness on Droughts, Security, on the War against Corruption, Reconciliation, Good governance, War against Illiteracy and Extremist Ideologies. They agreed to work together to prepare the Awareness Strategic Plan.

6.

The participants agreed that government-owned Media should pass across unified messages that serve the interest of the Somali Nation, focus on countering extremist ideologies, and develop a central command centre that will officially produce programs aimed at countering those ideologies. These will then be aired on the various national media at Federal and State level.

7.

The participants agreed upon the need to finalize the National Media Strategy in order to implement it.

8.

The participants agreed to establish a technical committee, consisting of all parties that will work on the completion of the awareness strategy and monitor and work together to deal with any issue that arises.

9.

The participants thanked the governments and the organizations that support Somali Media, and appealed to them to strengthen their support to the Somali Media at this new stage and fully work with them.

10.

The participants welcomed the creation of the country’s Media Strategy Office that will work under the Ministries of Information of the Regional Governments, and they proposed that these offices, which will be responsible to provide guidance and ensuring that the messages of the media in the country are unified, to start working immediately.

11.

The participants agreed that the media should not be used to spread harmful messages, but positive stories and that they should avoid spreading false news.

12.

The participants thanked the Media Parliamentary Committee for the consulting the media fraternity and the regional state ministers. They called upon the House of the People and the Upper House to effectively approve the Media Bill so that it is implemented.

13.

The participants outlined the importance of finalizing the Media Bill and they urged for the recommendations of the Member States of the Federal Government of Somalia to be incorporated in the bill and after it is agreed upon, the Media Committee in the Somali parliament should then submit it to the House of the People for approval.

14.

The participants thanked the Media Parliamentary Committee for the consulting the media fraternity and the regional state ministers. They called upon the House of the People and the Upper House to effectively approve the Media Bill so that it is implemented.

15.

The participants agreed to hold this forum regularly and conduct it in all the capitals of the Federal Member States at different times, with the first one agreed to take place in Garowe, the capital of Puntland State.

16.

The participants agreed that the Government-owned Media should focus on working together; they signed an agreement to work together and they agreed to strengthen their cooperation and relationship.

17.

The participants attended a ceremony to mark Impunity Day in order to bring criminals before the law, and they requested the security agencies and the judiciary to work on bringing before the law all criminals who have committed violations against the Somali journalists. They also asked the government to create a stable and peaceful environment to enable the journalist to do their work effectively.

18.

The participants agreed that the independent media in consultation with the Ministries of Information at Federal and State level, a technical committee to be set up to prepare Code of Ethics as provided in the Media Law.